1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates generally to fastener devices for waistbands or the like provided upon garments such as trousers, skirts or the like. More particularly, it relates to a two-piece adjustable waistband assembly having a sewable track member which is attached to one part of the waistband and a sewable latch member which is attached to the other part of the waistband. The sewable latch member has a pawl member or detent which is resiliently biased into recesses formed within the track member, thereby detachably interengaging the latch member with the track member.
2. Description of the Prior Art:
In U.S. Pat. No. 462,779 issued to John H. Smith on Nov. 10, 1891, there is disclosed a shoe buckle which comprises of a slotted tongue section and a keeper section. The keeper section has flanged guides formed upon its side edge portions and a plurality of slots formed within an axially central portion thereof. The slotted tongue section is formed with an elongated opening and has secured in a cantilevered manner such that a flat spring free end of the spring, which is provided with a catch, can pass through the elongated opening so as to engage with the slots formed within the keeper section.
In U.S. Pat. No. 2,138,542 issued to Isidore Goldberg on Nov. 29, 1938, there is disclosed a buckle which consists of (1) a female member having longitudinally extending, laterally spaced channeled sections with a plurality of longitudinally spaced catches defined within the sections and (2) a male member slidable within the channeled sections of the female member. A shaft is journalled within the male member, and spaced dogs are fixed upon the shaft adjacent the ends thereof for engagement with the spaced catches. A coil spring is provided upon the shaft for maintaining the dogs in engagement with a pair of the spaced catches so as to prevent movement of the male member relative to the female member in one direction and permit movement thereof in the opposite direction. A finger piece is fixed upon the shaft between the dogs and extends between the channeled sections for releasing the dogs from the spaced catches so as to permit withdrawal of the male member from the channeled sections of the female member.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,545 to C. M. Eckart issued on Aug. 23, 1966, there is described an overshoe buckle which includes a strip-like latchable element having notches defined therein and a tubular latch structure for receiving the latchable element. A detent is provided upon the exterior edge of each one of two opposite side walls of the tubular structure, and a slot is formed within the top wall of the tubular structure. A leaf spring is attached at one end to the exterior of the top wall of the tubular structure and has a bent portion defining a catch at its other end. The catch extends through the slot of the tubular structure top wall and projects into the interior of the tubular structure so as to engage the notches upon the latchable element. A substantially U-shaped lift is provided so as to enable the manual raising of the catch from engagement with the notches so as to permit withdrawal of the latchable element from the tubular structure. The raising action is limited by engagement of flanges formed upon side edge portions of the lift against underside portions of the detents.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,545,096 to Belter et al. issued on Oct. 8, 1985, there is described a fastener for waistbands or the like which includes a detent adjustment rail fastened to one part of the waistband and a slide displaceable upon the rail. The slide carries a pivotal lever which extends beyond its pivot so as to form a detent projection. The detent projection cooperates with detent depressions formed upon the adjustment rail for locking the slide at a desired position upon the rail. The slide or lever is detachably connectible to the other part of the waistband. The other waistband part is provided upon its inside surface with a hook which is engagable with an opening defined within either the slide or lever.
However, none of the prior art discussed above disclose an adjustable waistband assembly like that of the present invention which provides a two-piece adjustable waistband assembly for use upon a garment waistband having an underlying part and an overlying part which consists of a track member and a latch member. The track member is sewable to the underlying part of the waistband, and the latch member is sewable to the overlying part of the waistband and is adapted for receiving the track member. The track member is formed with a plurality of rectangularly-shaped recesses. The latch member is formed so as to have a substantially rectangular configuration and has a pawl for detachable interengagement with the recesses, the pawl being resiliently biased into such recesses. The latch member is lifted so as to cause disengagement of the pawl from the recesses.